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Hoopla

Name: Hoopla
Region: Taverne
Demonym: Hooplites
Owner: Wretch
Political System: Oligarchy
Population: Primarily karacels, a variety of other Taverne species and some species from other regions
Population Density: Decently dense
Religious Demographics: Mixed worshipers between Taverne gods, decently high number of Spit worshipers due to unfortunate amount of Spit cult presence
Project Appearances: TCP Gauntlet, Punch Clock Animal, Felid Factor
Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/skinstealers/hoopla/

Hoopla is located in Taverne, and is owned by Wretch. It features in the TCP Gauntlet and Felid Factor, as well as the Punch Clock Animal category of projects. It is a swampy zone known for its humid climate and bioluminescent qualities, as well as its culture's leaning towards the hyperviolent and indulgent.

Hoopla is fairly developed despite its swampy terrain, and has many sprawling cities spread across its states. What isn't developed is typically suburban or rural in nature, and typically houses low to middle class families.

Origin/History

Hoopla was created by Wretch with the help of Wane during the Chaos Era, and has been claimed by her since. Its native species is karacels, created as a joint project between Wretch and Grind, with most other Taverne species living there in varying degrees of the population.

Hoopla was initially given to Wretch by Wane as a gift, but it was determined quickly after formal mortal civilization was formed that Wretch was ill-equipped to run the zone herself. She signed away the rights to govern the zone to the company town that would eventually become the zone's capital of Fortune, and the government system was developed from there. Hoopla has not taken part in any wars, and remained neutral in the Revisionist Wars.

Climate/Geography

Hoopla's weather is known for its humidity and early sunsets, with longer nights than other zones. This ties in well to the zone's natural bioluminescence, with most flora and fauna in the zone having some degree of glitter or glow to it. As such, the darkness of the zone is somewhat nullified by the wildlife's glow, and people are typically able to get around without much issue even in rural areas- providing they're able to avoid dangerous fauna. The zone is also prone to rain and thunderstorms more frequently than other zones, causing flooding in the swamps and wetlands, especially in areas found below sea level.

Hoopla experiences a wet and a dry season, with the former starting in late May and the latter starting in mid October. It is prone to hurricanes in the wet season, with many buildings and cities built to weather the storms as best as they can be.

The day/night cycle of Hoopla is rendered in pink and blue hues during the day, with pitch blacks during the night to make the bioluminescence pop.

Wildlife

The vast majority of Hoopla's flora and fauna was designed by Wretch but created at the very least in part by other gods, mainly due to Wretch's lack of power as a deity. Most of the wildlife has some degree of bioluminescence, and has glowing effects in the pitch black nights. This leads to a unique effect found in few zones, and many will comment that despite the danger found in Hoopla, it can be quite pretty.

Some examples of Hoopla fauna include an ink-like panther with glowing spots, a sauropod with glowing stripes, a crocodile-like megafauna with rows of teeth, and a swan-like creature with glitter-like particles.

Some examples of Hoopla flora include sticky, tar-like lilypads, predatory vine snares, creeping, glowing moss, and mushrooms that play tones when touched.

Government/Politics

Hoopla is an oligarchy, and is owned by multiple companies, with Wretch and multiple other gods giving varying levels of advisory input. It is often described as “a company town that grew into a company country”, and is left at that with little elaboration by those in charge. The exact mechanics of how Hoopla is run are left a mystery to its citizens, with Wretch kept mostly (and very much purposefully) out of the loop as well.

Hoopla uses its own form of scrip in lieu of cash or change within the zone's borders, with companies handling any exchange rate between it and cash/change. Many citizens theorize that this is in order to keep workers in line due to the constantly fluctuating value of scrip, and workers often end up having to take out loans from the companies they work for in order to stay afloat.

Wretch is not typically worshipped, but many of the lesser gods in the zone (especially those at the heads of companies/organizations in charge within the zone) are, and it is far more common to find smaller, more specific religions in Hoopla than any sort of unified practice. One religion in particular that is followed to a concerning degree is that of Theodore's, a lesser god of Spit's that preaches similar ideals.

In Hoopla, the military could be considered the same organization as the police, often composed of mercenaries and paid off by the highest bidder. The law favors the wealthy and the powerful, and those with money are nigh impossible to convict, especially those with company connections. This is in part why deathsports and similar media are allowed to go on as easily as they have been in the zone. Trials do exist and attempt to portray an image of fairness, heavily favoring tourists in order to continue to upkeep their image. Wretch is deeply uncomfortable with this system, but finds herself unable to speak up against it effectively- she is often scapegoated for its failings by the public, and her approval ratings suffer for it.

Hoopla's foreign affairs with other zones vary, but approval ratings from the rest of Taverne vary from near neutral to harshly negative. Wretch is largely considered incompetent by the other gods in Taverne, and the companies in charge of the zone, while attempting to put a spin on the zone as being a place where you can make it big and find a future like you could never dream, have extremely mixed reception from other zone leaders. Consumption has a particularly mixed relationship with Hoopla, with Spit being particularly abusive towards Wretch, but also having multiple lesser gods pulling strings within Hoopla's ranks. Precipice is also noteworthy due to the strong sibling-like relationship between Wretch and Grind, and their tendency to work together on species and fauna projects- multiple members of Grind's approval of both mortal and deity status have also been sent over to assist in running Hoopla.

Culture

Hoopla's entertainment industry tends to lean towards the hyperviolent and the indulgent, with an especially common focus on deathsports and similar media. Portrayal of indulging in things like drugs, sex, alcohol, violence and partying are also seen frequently, especially when marketing itself to the outside world- Hoopla is a place where you can indulge in sins (mostly) freely and make a name for yourself. This hedonistic imagery is everywhere in entertainment, and while it gives the zone a sleazy reputation, many are drawn to this very appeal.

Knowing combat skills is often considered necessary for survival in Hoopla, especially in the more rural areas where the wildlife is often predatory and dangerous. Due to deathsports and violence being a part of Hooplite culture and those in power being likely able to get away with it if put on trial for it, it is highly recommended that Hooplites are trained in self defense at minimum, if not further in order to protect themselves should they find themselves in a dire situation. Common Hoopla fighting styles involve being as flashy as possible in order to “put on a good show”, though those more focused on survival find that to be rather unnecessary.

In regards to food, common gifts are sweets and alcoholic beverages/candies. Hoopla is very, very swampy so anything that's hard to grow in a swamp is hard to get here naturally. Hoopla has lots of sugary meals/drinks and commercial chains, not a lot of health restrictions around anywhere, and saucy and almost overly spicy meats are common. Hoopla's cheap meals of choice typically include fast food, especially made with processed donor meat.

Making yourself into an icon is a common Hoopla ideal, with many Hooplites aiming to rise to the top in their communities. Signing on with a company is often considered a great honor if not a straight up necessity for success in Hoopla society, with many Hooplites finding themselves struggling to climb up the corporate ladder in search of fame and fortune. Acts of desperation are common and seen as necessary sacrifices at times, with people refusing to gamble their own health and wellbeing often seen as cowards or unwilling to have what it takes.

Hooplite housing varies based on where in the zone you live, with suburbs and scattered houses in the woods in more rural areas and apartment complexes in urban/city areas. Housing is typically made to weather hurricanes if the builders were able to afford it, though lower income areas struggle to accommodate for it. Air conditioning is common to combat the humidity of the zone, and all housing is at the very least made to endure high amounts of moisture. Housing is not provided through social programs, and must be purchased from the companies that run the areas people live in.

The entertainment industry is the biggest draw work-wise to Hoopla, but companies feature a variety of other careers for Hooplites to take part in, including office work, mercenary work, service work, and pretty much anything else you could think of. Violation of labor laws are common but kept as under the radar as possible, with very little way for it to be actually prosecuted if/when caught. Cities and towns are often separated into multiple districts for tourists and workers to further prevent prying eyes from catching possible slip ups, and to help preserve the glitzy image of a place you want to be.

Hoopla's education system resembles formal schooling at a first glance, but has some deviations from more commonly recognized systems. “Gigs” and deals with companies are commonly offered throughout a student's academic career, occasionally even in the form of pay-to-enter internships marketing themselves as invaluable experience for the future. Creativity is frequently focused on in the schooling system as a way to brand and market yourself in the workforce.

Hoopla healthcare involves insurance packages offered by the different companies that run the Hoopla states, and is often found at steep prices that few can afford without being a part of the company's workforce themselves. Hospitals themselves find themselves in need of skilled workers out of sheer necessity due to the violent wildlife and crime rate within the zone, but those that sign on are often overworked.

Despite Hoopla's outward-facing, seemingly flippant nature, it is a zone with significantly advanced scientific progress, specifically in the TCP research department, mainly in part due to the TCPdex Research Facility being located there. Why a legitimate and overall humane facility is allowed to exist alongside companies doing research on what makes for the best bloodsport and how to work their labor force to maximum capacity is unknown, but it is undoubtedly a force for good. Other common advancements in science involve that of wildlife research, particularly in bioluminescence, and weather patterns.

Hoopla transportation is typically done via cars and buses in city areas, with rural transport resorting mostly on car and bike transportation (the latter when possible, sometimes difficult on dirt roads.) Boats coming and going from Hoopla are frequent at any of its many seaports, though they are often lost to hurricane season.

Aesthetic

Traditional art styles in Hoopla vary from state to state, as each company has their own unique branding to uphold. Overall the zone lean towards a spooky, almost vintage/retro horror aesthetic, similar to Earth stylings found in Halloween aesthetics, classic horror movies, or 70's-80's horror novel covers. Slime is a common motif due to the association with Wretch, with glitter and bioluminescence also making its way into designs frequently.

Architecture in Hoopla often features arches, fountains, pillars, and windows, along with tall buildings and neon lights. In more rural areas, houses can be more likened to those of the rural Earth south, frequently featuring porches and sloped roofs. Neon signage can be found everywhere no matter where you are in the zone, with rural areas typically having salvaged them from the more developed ones. It is theorized that the popularity of these signs is their natural compatibility with the bioluminescent look of the zone itself, even in the rural areas.

Hoopla fashion tends to lean towards the revealing and the exaggerated, with much of its looks based in blacks paired with bold, neon colors and short cuts with mesh as a popular option. Logos (and parodies of logos in the case of counter/punk culture) and graphic designs are incredibly common, and companies marketing themselves to tourists often have their iconography available in multiple styles.

Merchandise of different media properties remains the biggest export of Hoopla, and as such, the biggest kind of good available for sale within Hoopla itself. People can obtain anything they want of their favorite characters and brands, occasionally at exorbitant prices in the case of things created with artificial scarcity. Hearts are a common motif within goods, as well as mirrors, slime, glitter, latex, and luxurious furs (though typically not at the same time as slime or latex).

Locations

Mayhem

The capital state of Hoopla, extremely small and containing only the city of Fortune, many are confused as to why Mayhem is even classified as a state at all. When asked, the company in charge, Mayhem Industries, simply replies- “We thought it'd need to be bigger, haha.” When asked why it hasn't expanded, it is handwaved and people are simply left to wonder- with the reason assumed being that of the state's even looser laws towards deathsports and death-based media. It was the original state created by Wretch and handed over to what would eventually become Mayhem Industries, with all future companies and states expanding from there.

Fortune

The capital city of Hoopla and the technical entireity of Mayhem, Fortune is a sprawling city, that, like many Hoopla cities, is sectioned off into districts for work and sections that are “suitable for visitors to actually view”. It is home to the company Toon Hell and, as a result, the TCP Gauntlet, as well as the location of Wretch, Eastwood, and Carrie's warehouse.

Curtaincall

A state in the northeast of Hoopla and encapsulating Mayhem, Curtaincall is owned by Muse Incorporated. This state is focused heavily on producing drama-based media, and is known for both the highest production of celebrities in the zone along with the highest amount of overwork-related injuries and deaths. Labor violations are incredibly common, and often times legal.

Getaway

Getaway is a small but well developed town located on the coast of Curtaincall, and can be best described as a beach-y tourist town. It markets itself both on relaxation and its local celebrities, the latter of which are sparse but very well known. It boasts an extensive boardwalk and plentiful shops along it, the majority of which hire year round (though with significantly less traffic during the wet season). The town gravitates towards an extremely tacky “tropical” aesthetic, despite it not quite fitting the environment around them. Housing consists mainly of motels, hotels, and other establishments meant for tourists and guests, though small neighborhoods exist. The biggest tourist attraction in Getaway is the Sunchaser Aquarium, where guests can swim with inkblot rays, a large, intelligent and docile fauna trained to be patient and easy to work with. Despite the pleasant exterior appearance however, Getaway does struggle with horror attacks from the ocean, having a horror vent very close to the coast- all of which are covered up by Muse Incorporated as efficiently as possible.

Noisemaker

A state in the northwest of Hoopla, and despite its name, considered far safer than the rest of the zone. The original company owners were bought out by a group of Rein followers, though how much they actually follow Rein's religion is up for debate. The company itself focuses mainly on keeping their labor violations hidden from public eye even more than usual, and appears more concerned with image than actually keeping to any sort of Rein-based morality.

Flaunt

A state in the south of Hoopla, Flaunt is mostly rural and more low-income than the other Hoopla states, and run by the Inkwell Company. They are most known for sludge mining, though many are unsure why they're so insistent on the multipurpose usage of sludge, along with its many supposed health benefits. As with every other Hoopla state, they are prone to labor violations.

Slapstick

A state in the east of Hoopla owned by the Carnivale Company (run by Theodore), though many prefer to refer to them as “The Carnivale Mob”. Doing so in a way that gets you caught can lead to serious repercussions, as the Carnivale Company does not take kindly to being implied to be illegitimate- despite their tendencies towards being a band of murderous, extremely violent clowns. Slapstick is considered the most dangerous place to live in Hoopla, and has the worst reputation of any of the states- and yet, many are drawn to the fact that you can get away with literal murder with ease, and local Hooplites often have the attitude that they'll be “one of the lucky ones”.

Carnivale

The capital city of Slapstick and the main location of the Carnivale Company, Carnivale is the location of The Big Top and home to many live deathsport events. It is an especially dangerous place to live and people are often found to not return home after transgressing against the will of the Carnivale Company.